The wrestling staff of Back Sports Page have carefully selected what they believe to be the top 41 matches in WrestleMania history. Presented in chronological order, this series will detail the backstory, match review, and aftermath of each match, along with how the outcomes shaped the careers of those involved.
Backstory: So, Chris Benoit wins the Royal Rumble. He’s on Smackdown, which leads fans to believe he’ll challenge WWE Champion and great friend, Eddie Guerrero. However, Benoit found a loophole in his contract that stated he could get out of that match. Therefore, he’s taking on Triple H and Shawn Michaels, leaving his best friend alone.
That left Eddie Guerrero needing an opponent. In comes Kurt Angle, who defeated John Cena and The Big Show in a triple-threat match at No Way Out. Now, he’s the No. 1 contender for the WWE Championship. Angle goes on to attack the champion, turning heel in the process.
But the focus would be on Angle’s neck, which would aggravate him after WrestleMania 20. Would the champion focus on that problem area? Or would Guerrero find another underhanded tactic to win the match as he always does?
Match Review: This was a classical match of technique and wrestling prowess vs. a wrestler doing whatever it took to win. Yet, the stipulations were different. The heel wrestler was the more technical fighter while the underhanded tactics wrestler was the baby face. The role reversal made for great theater in the ring.
For example, Eddie Guerrero would loosen his boot to get out of Kurt Angle’s patented Angle Lock. Once Angle applied the hold again, Guerrero escaped and rolled up the challenger for the win… with his foot on the ropes.
Such an unorthodox approach to the match was what made it great. Fans admired the champion’s will to win, regardless of whether it was against the rules or not. Meanwhile, you have the challenger who’s supposed to represent everything great about wrestling. Yet, he’s the aloof heel who doesn’t know the champion loosened his boot.
Overall, it was a mixture of terrific technique and high-flying moves. It didn’t matter if there were German suplexes or Frog Splashes flying in the ring. The match represented a masterclass in both wrestlers using their best moves to win the match.
Aftermath:
- Kurt Angle had surgery done on his neck shortly after WrestleMania 20. As a result, he took up the mantle of Smackdown General Manager. He screwed Eddie Guerrero out of his WWE Championship by reversing the decision at The Great American Bash and awarding the championship to JBL. Angle would later be fired by Mr. McMahon for faking his injury.
- Eddie Guerrero would lose his WWE Championship in a Texas Bull Rope Match against JBL at The Great American Bash. He would wrestle Angle again at SummerSlam that year, losing via ankle lock. The feud ended at Survivor Series, where Team Guerrero (with Guerrero, The Big Show, Rob Van Dam, and John Cena) defeated Team Angle (Kurt Angle, Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak, and Carlito).
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